My tour of the much hyped Viaje line of cigars continues with this offering. To be perfectly frank, with the first couple of tries of this brand I have been decidedly confused about all the hullabaloo surrounding this frontmark. The cigars have been abundantly average and I have had some noted construction issues with the ones that I have smoked thus far. Always the cigar optimist (laughter not necessary), I trudge onward in search of the perfect cigar.
This one presents fairly well in a workman like fashion. The wrapper is robust looking and shows some nice amounts of tooth. The roll is finished with a pigtail cap, pigtails always seem to show some whimsical flair for me and I like the looks of them (on cigars, not necessarily women). An examination of the smoke leads to me to believe that I will not experience the issues I have found in some of the smokes from this line. The pre light aroma is spicy with some hints of bread and wheat. The pre light draw is really plain, showing some cardboard qualities and it makes the mouth a bit dry.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all wheat with some odd cereal or oatmeal qualities that are unexpected and not necessarily pleasant or welcome. At the back of the palate there is a floral sweetness that is paired with a wisp of cedar flavor that is coming off a touch charred. The burn is excellent to this point. The draw is a dream and I am relieved because of my prior experiences that have been trying to say the least.
The first half of the smoke really lacks depth, character and complexity. The profile is papery and sour, there may be some wheaty type flavors in the background, but they are not readily evident. The back of the palate still contains some floral flavors, but there is a metallic flavor here that is starting to taste like a mouthful of nickels. This really isn't all that great at this point and I am disappointed. The burn stays solid but I am seeing the formation of a small canoe and I am becoming concerned about what that will mean for the final half of the smoke. The draw stays solid to this point.
The final half of the cigar begins to warm up a little bit. The main profile begins to show some cinnamon flavors and some nice notes of wood, but it really lacks depth and that is what I am always looking for. Don't just talk to me about flavor, I want to know how deep the flavor is and whether it has balance and some nuance, this is still falling short. At the back of the palate there are still some metallic notes running through the experience, but they have faded and a more sharp cedar presentation is coming through. The burn is coming apart, the canoe extends for nearly an inch at this point and I am waiting to see what will happen (it eventually reverts back to normal around the canoe and I have to tap a burned out canoe husk into the tray). The draw stays solid to the end.
The finish was mediocre and showed some cedar flavor that was sharp.
All in all I continue to be unimpressed with these offerings.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 81 no depth or complexity with metallic elements
Construction- 85 the burn issue was distracting, but the draw was solid
Strength- 85 a solid medium that did not add or subtract from the experience
Overall- 84 a below average smoke that has me wondering what all the hype has been about
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